Quran Universe
3:33

۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصۡطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحٗا وَءَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمۡرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Inna Allaha istafa adama wanoohan waala ibraheema waala AAimrana AAala alAAalameena

Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds -

Word by word
  1. ۞إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱللَّهَAllah
  3. ٱصۡطَفَىٰٓchose
  4. ءَادَمَAdam
  5. وَنُوحٗاand Nuh
  6. وَءَالَand (the) family
  7. إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ(of) Ibrahim
  8. وَءَالَand (the) family
  9. عِمۡرَٰنَ(of) Imran
  10. عَلَىover
  11. ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَthe worlds
Ali 'Imran · 3:33Madinah

Allah chose Adam, Nuh, and two families.

The chosen ones, and the family this surah is named after

Chosen over the worlds
Adamshaped by His Hand
Nuhfirst messenger to the earth
family of Ibrahimto the Final Prophet ﷺ
family of ImranMaryam's father
What chosen meant
an easy lifecomfort, ease
a heavy trustNuh called for years

This opens the part of the surah linked by Maududi to the delegation from Najran. Ibn Kathir explains Allah honored Adam, made Nuh the first messenger, who called his people day and night for a very long time, and chose the families of Ibrahim and Imran, the father of Maryam.

You wonder if your life matters in the big story. The chosen ones were not chosen for comfort. They were chosen to carry something. Your own small trust, a child, a parent, a job done well, is part of that line.

Being chosen by Allah means things will be easy.

Being chosen is a trust to carry, and every believer carries some of it.

Try this

Read or listen to the story of Nuh in the Quran this week.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Allah chose Adam, Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim and the family of 'Imran above the nations (33)Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (34)

The Chosen Ones Among the People of the Earth

Allah states that He has chosen these households over the people of the earth. For instance, Allah chose Adam, created him with His Hand and blew life into him. Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam, taught him the names of everything and allowed him to dwell in Paradise, but then sent him down from it out of His wisdom. Allah chose Nuh and made him the first Messenger to the people of the earth, when the people worshipped idols and associated others with Allah in worship. Allah avenged the way Nuh was treated, for he kept calling his people day and night, in public and in secret, for a very long time. However, his calling them only made them shun him more, and this is when Nuh supplicated against them. So Allah caused them to drown, and none among them was saved, except those who followed the religion that Allah sent to Nuh. Allah also chose the household of Ibrahim, including the master of all mankind, and the Final Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him. Allah also chose the household of 'Imran, the father of Marym bint 'Imran, the mother of 'Isa, peace be upon them. So 'Isa is from the offspring of Ibrahim, as we will mention in the Tafsir of Surat Al-An'am, Allah willing, and our trust is in Him.